Plastic?

[45flint]

Have issues with castings as well. I know the love out there for the Crosman 600 but castings just doesn’t make it for me.

[ogilkes]

So what we mostly want is an old guy in a brown coat with half moon glasses, beautifully cutting bar stock into marvels of the machinists art, while his almost identical colleague hand finishes walnut stocks all to make a rifle costing a couple of hundred quid?

[mrto]

So what we mostly want is an old guy in a brown coat with half moon glasses, beautifully cutting bar stock into marvels of the machinists art, while his almost identical colleague hand finishes walnut stocks all to make a rifle costing a couple of hundred quid?

I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head! Certainly a better image than someone in a far away country in a faded and worn Coca-Cola tee shirt, fake Levi's and flip flops flicking the switch on an injection moulding machine!

[Josie & John]

I think synthetics have their place when it comes to AR style tactical rifles but not on vintage arms, where quality and style are beautifully shown off in wood and steel.

John M

[ggggr]

MILBRO COUGAR

[trajectory]

Plastic, well that's a big range of materials .

Definately don't like the soft feel type of plastic that degrades to a tacky surface. Don't like puny thin walled barrels in plastic sleeves, but some plastics have their uses, theres piston washers, o rings all manner of seals in PCP or CO2 designs. They seem to wear out after varying times though. Then theres the top hats made of delrin etc.anyone want to ditch theres? Mazak not too good. Someone said they weren't keen on castings, fair enough but theres al. castings in the FWB 65, that's not a bad pistol. Whether that's because or despite the castings who knows.
Brass was mentioned too, take that out & theres a few PCP fittings gone.

So what are we left with, steel, wood, leather. Ah well only one thing to do then, build pre war BSA's. That'll do

[eyebull]

Plastic, well that's a big range of materials .

Definately don't like the soft feel type of plastic that degrades to a tacky surface. Don't like puny thin walled barrels in plastic sleeves, but some plastics have their uses, theres piston washers, o rings all manner of seals in PCP or CO2 designs. They seem to wear out after varying times though. Then theres the top hats made of delrin etc.anyone want to ditch theres? Mazak not too good. Someone said they weren't keen on castings, fair enough but theres al. castings in the FWB 65, that's not a bad pistol. Whether that's because or despite the castings who knows.
Brass was mentioned too, take that out & theres a few PCP fittings gone.

So what are we left with, steel, wood, leather. Ah well only one thing to do then, build pre war BSA's. That'll do

To take a modern example of Mazak use, the Umarex pellet revolvers e.g 1911, CP88, S+W586 etc. I don't so much dislike the bodies and frames being made out of cast alloy - it would be unrealistic to expect milled or even cast steel at anywhere near the same price point. However I strongly object to its use in load and friction bearing parts, such as the gas lever, indexing pawl and magazines, where its paradoxical softness and brittleness causes frequent and predictable failures.
A few steel parts in those Umarex guns could make them heirloom items, but as is they are only good as long as you have access to a supply of spare parts.

[Geezer]

Have issues with castings as well. I know the love out there for the Crosman 600 but castings just doesn’t make it for me.

It’s fine except where it obviously will break when used for stress-bearing parts. Which is sadly too true with many guns. The 600 appears not to be one of those.

[ptdunk]

It’s fine except where it obviously will break when used for stress-bearing parts. Which is sadly too true with many guns. The 600 appears not to be one of those.

Hear hear,
If it makes something affordable without compromising on durability I’m all for it.
When it comes to air pistols it’s not all about polished milled forged steel (although that is lovely)

Matt

[Robert j]

Woven carbon could be the ideal material right now that can only be appreciated over a long period of time. It is lightweight, many times stronger than steel, black through and through and does not rust.